What time is it?
by pandalove666
Summary: Ruby n Jiraiya Jr. are stuck in the past if they don't get homesoon their entire exsistence is at sake!But they can't worry about that when some Prince trys tosteal their mother's handif they don't get Naruto to fall 4 Hinata there'll be no home 2 return2
1. On the surface

"Jiraiya, Breakfast" Hinata knocked on her son's bedroom door, her ear against the wood, listening for any sign of movement.

Naruto passed her on his way to the stairs, he started to go downstairs.

"Naruto" She called him back, just as he got to the third step. He turned and walked back up.

"Yep"

She tilted her head in the direction of Jiraiya's bedroom, Naruto grinned. "He's properly already up."

Hinata didn't believe that for a second, she stared at him with one eyebrow raised – as if he'd lost his mind. Naruto laughed. "Alright, alright" he walked to Jiraiya's door and knocked. Nothing happened. Hinata sighed and then decided she'd go and wake up Ruby instead and let Naruto deal with that lazy son of theirs.

Naruto leaned in against the door, pressing his ear to it. After awhile he was sure he heard a faint snore. He flung the door open and stepped into the pig sty of a room.

Jiraiya lay sprawled out in bed. Naruto looked around the so-called room. There were thousands of different amounts of crap: half-eaten ramen and pizza boxes, clean and dirty clothes, weights and a giant pile of comic books in the far corner etc. Naruto laughed, it was shocking how much his son took after him. He stomped through the rubbish towards Jiraiya's bed and plopped down on top of him!

Jiraiya's eyes burst open; they felt like they were going to pop out of his skull. He tried to breathe but was finding it extremely hard for some reason. He scanned around the room but nothing seemed out of place, till his eyes froze on someone who was sitting on top of him!

"Dad!" He moaned waving his arms and legs about. Naruto just laughed and ruffled Jiraiya's yellow blonde hair with his hands, "Dad!"

"Come on out of bed" Naruto told him. "Now"

"Kind of hard to do, when you're SQUASHING ME" Jiraiya chocked out, still waving his arms and legs.

Naruto laughed harder, then sighed and stood up. Jiraiya got up too, rubbing his back – where his dad had been sitting.

"Don't let your mother see this..." Naruto warned pointing at the mess in Jiraiya's room.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Jiraiya grinned back.

"BREAKFAST" Ruby's sweet LOUD voice called up from downstairs.

Jiraiya made his way to the door, pulling random bits of clothing on as he made his way there. Naruto beat him through the door and raced him downstairs.

"Don't have to tell me twice" he grinned in the direction of his little girl, who was standing in the hall getting ready to shout again. He leaned down towards her and swooped her up on to his back, she giggled.

Now they were racing to the kitchen, Jiraiya behind – losing, Naruto in front with Ruby clinging to his back – winning. The kitchen doors were getting closer and closer, suddenly Jiraiya was neck to neck with Naruto pushing his nose forward, as he tried to beat his dad. Naruto stopped grinning and suddenly looked very serious. All playfulness was gone as Naruto and Jiraiya raced for the title, at least that's what Jiraiya thought was going on.

But then Naruto pulled Ruby off his back and placed her on the floor in front of himself and Jiraiya.

"Run Ruby!" He cheered to her as he tackled his son. Ruby skidded around a corner and ran through the kitchen doors. Naruto had Jiraiya in a head lock and was ruffling his hair again, as Jiraiya moaned: "Dad!"

Ruby came to a halt in front of her mum. Hinata smiled down at her, Ruby smiled up and then skipped to her seat. Hinata placed Ruby's breakfast in front of her, as she placed down everyone else's too. Ruby leaned over her pancakes for the syrup, she blinked and when she opened her eyes it was gone. She searched around the table and saw Jiraiya grinning as he poured the syrup onto his pancakes. She watched him open-mouthed he stuck his tongue out at her.

"That's not fair Jiraiya! I won, I got here first" Ruby moaned close to tears.

"Jiraiya" Hinata said disapprovingly.

Jiraiya looked to Naruto, who'd just sat down beside him. Naruto shook his head, also disapprovingly.

"Fine" Jiraiya swapped his plate for Ruby's. Hinata and Naruto smiled, not as much as Ruby though. She was very happy at how things had turned out.

As they ate Naruto started telling his kids some stories of when he was young. Of fights he won and friends he made. Jiraiya and Ruby listened amazed by everything their dad had to say. Hinata stared at Naruto, smiling at every word he said though she wasn't really paying attention. She was too lost in his eyes. She was leaning forward so close to the table, her chin was almost in her breakfast.

A bit of pancake got stuck in the corner of Naruto's mouth, Hinata reached up with a napkin almost instinctively. The kids watched quietly as their dad blushed slightly as his wife cleared his face. Hinata bit her lip, her face was inches from his and she was completely aware of that. She put the napkin down on the table, without looking away from him. Her hands moved up to his face and her lips moved down to his.

Ruby watched as her parents kissed. She leaned her chin into her hands, her elbows on the table and sighed: "Awwwww"

Jiraiya looked away, "yuck" he mumbled.

They broke apart. Hinata shook her head as she tried to come back down from the clouds.

"Everyone finished?" She asked looking at the empty plates on the table. Ruby nodded. Hinata went to pick up Naruto's plate, but he picked it up for her then moved it away from her.

"Don't worry I'll do this" he smiled at her, making her blush.

"T-that's okay..."

But he wasn't listening; he was already walking over to the dishwasher, with all the dishes in one hand.

Hinata eventually remembered what day it was.

"School things" she told Ruby. Ruby jumped down from her chair and skipped off happily to get her school things. Jiraiya on the other hand moaned and yawned dramatically as he got to his feet. Hinata crossed her arms as she watched him move very slowly out of the room.

"I don't understand that one" she laughed quietly to herself. Naruto was still in the kitchen, he smiled at where Hinata stood laughing. She felt his gaze on her and turned red. Even after all these years of their marriage, he still found a way to make her turn bright red.

She shook off the red and looked at the clock above Naruto's head and walked over to him.

"Hokage things" she grinned at him. He spun around and looked at the clock.

"Damn" he moaned, running upstairs to get dressed. Hinata laughed.


	2. Jiraiya's anger

Naruto was walking to his office with Jiraiya and Ruby. He was dropping Ruby off at the academy and his son was going to meet up with his comrades: Daisuke and Hoshi to train. Ruby skipped happily holding her daddy's hand. It didn't bother her at all the way people stared at Naruto where ever he went. But it did get on Jiraiya's nerves, he hated walking with his dad, he'd prefer to be with his comrades just chilling and having a laugh. Not being stared at like his dad was a saint or something...

They stopped at the academy gates.

"Bye then Ruby" Naruto said smiling down at her, she smiled too but didn't let go of his hand. Ruby looked around; everyone seemed to be already inside. Naruto watched her as she searched around them. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him then laughed awkwardly.

"Ruby –"

"Can you come in with me?" She asked.

"Why? Ruby what's wrong?"

She blushed slightly. "Erm...It's just..." She peered over at Jiraiya and gave him a 'shut up' look. He sighed and turned away.

"I'm going dad" Jiraiya said and left.

"Bye" Naruto called after him. He knelt down to Ruby's height. "What is it then?"

She took in a deep breath. "Daddy I kind of promised some of my friends that that you were going to the academy today."

He laughed then smiled smugly. "Do they want to see the coolest Hokage since the 4th?" He held out the peace sign to her, grinning.

"Well...actually," She bit her lip. "They wanna know if it's true that you're an idiot?"

Naruto hung his head in sudden shame. "W-what...?" He almost cried.

"Because their parents have all said that you are" Ruby rolled her eyes. Naruto's head nearly touched the ground. Ruby leaned up to him and put her arms around his neck, her lips to his ear. "Don't worry daddy I still think you're the coolest Hokage since grandpa and all the others combined."

How could Naruto not smile to that? He hugged his daughter close then released her still smiling.

"Will you come in then?"

"Well I don't know I do have lots of important Hokage stuff to do, like paperwork and more paperwork...."

"Come on daddy, we'll prove them all wrong!" She grinned.

"That we will," he grinned also.

Ruby had Naruto's hand again and they walked into the Academy.

***

Jiraiya, Daisuke and Hoshi lay on a hill looking at the clouds above, knowing they should be training but were still tired from last night's training. They were pushing themselves everyday in hope that they'll live up to their parents' expectations. At least that's what the story was for Daisuke and Hoshi. But with Jiraiya, he was pushing himself so he wouldn't need his dad to rescue him. He could look after himself and Konoha all by himself and his comrades, of course. If it wasn't for Daisuke and Hoshi's support he didn't think he'd gotten this far.

"Look that one looks like a pig" Hoshi pointed out, laughter in her voice. The two boys nodded their heads in agreement as they too looked at the pig-shaped cloud.

Daisuke sat up and cracked his neck.

"Ew, why do you have to do that?" Hoshi moaned.

"Bad-habit" Daisuke shrugged.

"Well its disgusting one day your heads gonna fall off" she sat up too, shaking her head at him

"Yeah and if you keep moaning your gonna be a cow for the rest of your life" he sighed.

Hoshi jumped to her feet, a fist flew through the air towards Daisuke and he managed to doge it with seconds to spare. He got to his feet.

"What did you say?!" Hoshi growled at him.

"You heard me" he mumbled barely audible. After all, he didn't want Hoshi to actually hit him; she could break bones, just by flicking at you!

Jiraiya stood up too and walked between them staring at a bird in a tree.

"We'd better go"

Daisuke and Hoshi looked at him confused and then followed his gaze to the bird.

"Right" they said in unison.

***

Naruto cringed at the memory of him and Ruby at the academy. All those kids knew too much about him: "So stay in school" he'd said explaining that if it wasn't for school he'd never of ended up the man he was today. He even given them the thumbs up, then one kid said: "Didn't you get the lowest grade in the whole class?" "Yeah," – another kid said: "My dad said he got the lowest grade in the whole history of the academy, properly even the world." Naruto had tried to change their opinions of him but in the end it was no good, he just hung his head in shame.

Right now, however he sat at his desk awaiting team 8 to give them their mission for the day. There were other more dangerous missions; ones he'd already sent the other teams on. But the other teams were fine and if not then team 8, could just be back-ups but that didn't matter the missions weren't that serious.

Team 8 knocked on the office's doors.

"Come" Naruto said.

Jiraiya, Daisuke and Hoshi walked in, Hoshi was all smiles, Daisuke just looked nervous and Jiraiya walked with his arms behind his head, with eyes half open not really paying attention.

"Where's Jun?" Naruto asked. All three of them shrugged.

Just then Jun-sensei ran through the doors. "S-sorry I'm late." He smiled apologetically.

"Right, well here's your mission..."

Jiraiya's anger fired up inside him the second his dad mentioned that old hag and her runaway cat. 'How old is that women anyway?' He wondered in his head for a second then shook his head back to where he stood, angry at his dad for giving him such a low-rank mission.

"What kind of a mission is that?!" He shouted at Naruto, hands fisted. "It's child's play!"

"Jiraiya-kun" Hoshi muttered under her breath.

"Jiraiya this is all that's left" Naruto tried to explain but even he knew it went deeper than that.

"Then why do us last?"

Jun-sensei wanted to step in and tell Jiraiya not to shout at the Hokage, that he should respect the Hokage but he wasn't just the Hokage he was Jiraiya's father. So that made this family business and strictly none of his business, so he just stared at the ground in his embarrassment of not being able to control his pupils.

Naruto avoided the question. "That's your mission."

"Right" everyone said in unison, except Jiraiya. Naruto stared at him, waiting for him to accept the mission. But Jiraiya just crossed his arms, pulled his eyebrows together and stared at the wall that was to his right, avoiding his dad's eyes.

Daisuke and Hoshi stared at Jiraiya worried and quite embarrassed and to be completely honest they too were angry with their mission. They wanted a real mission to prove they weren't weak, to prove it to their parents and to themselves. But there was nothing they could do about it.

"I'm not doing it." Jiraiya said through gritted teeth.

"Yes you are" Naruto growled at him.

Jiraiya turned and stormed out of the room not even bothering to open the doors, he walked right through them leaving a Jiraiya-shaped hole behind him in the door. Hoshi gasped, Jun-sensei and Daisuke exchanged looks and Naruto nearly broke the desk when he slapped his hands down on top of it.

***

Ruby skipped away from the academy off home, normally she would wait for one of her parents or Jiraiya to come and pick her up. But today after she begged and begged her mummy and daddy about it the day before – she was finally allowed to go home on her own. She wanted to be a big girl now, after all she is ten! They have to let her grow up sometime.

She hummed to herself and as she past all the different people and the shops and houses she took in all in and grinned smugly at anyone who looked her way.

"Ruby...?"

Ruby turned around to face the women who had said her name.

"Sakura" Ruby smiled at her, Sakura smiled back and then leaned down towards her, to be at her level – she was quite small for her age.

"What are you doing out on your own?" Sakura asked.

"I'm going home. I'm allowed to come home alone now." She grinned.

Sakura thought about that for a minute, she then sensed someone behind them. She turned around just in time to see a curtain of dark indigo hair fly around the corner closest to them. She smiled.

"You're all grown up, Ruby-san"

"I know" Ruby was still grinning happily to herself.

"Well, I've got to go. I've got work to do" Sakura almost yawned.

"Okay"

Sakura waved her goodbye and turned to leave.

"Wait Sakura" Sakura turned back to Ruby. "Can you come and see me today? We could do girly things?"

Sakura smiled. "Sure. You really thought of me for a girly-day?" Sakura was pleased with herself.

"Yep, right after I asked Ino"

"INO...?" Sakura's smile was wiped from her face.

"Yeah, she's busy today though."

Sakura was so angry she felt like she needed to hit something – properly Ino. She clenched her fists. "See you Ruby I'll come see you later."

"Okay," Ruby skipped off, leaving Sakura standing with her head hung in shame.

Hinata crept behind Ruby, hiding in the shadows. As much as she knew Ruby would be safe in Konoha to walk home alone, she and Naruto still didn't want to risk it. So they decided to take turns in making sure she got home safely every day. They did try and ask Jiraiya for his help, but he just came up with a bunch of excuses. So oh well...

***

Hinata snuck in her house through the back door that led to the kitchen, she quickly threw on her apron and started cooking, as if she'd been there the whole time.

Seconds later and Ruby was coming in through the front door.

"I'm home" She called through the empty hallway.

"I'm in the kitchen" Hinata called back.

Ruby skipped over to her mum and hugged her. Hinata kissed her on the cheek, "how was your day sweetie?" She asked her.

"Great" Ruby smiled. "Look mummy..." She spun around, pointing out as she did so. "See I'm all on my own and I'm fine!"

Hinata laughed, she pretended to gasp. "OH! You're right. You got here all on your own?"

Ruby nodded and stopped spinning.

"Oh my, you are all grown up aren't you?" Hinata smiled down at her.

Ruby nodded again. "I can't wait to tell daddy and Jiraiya!"

"I'm sure they'll be very proud of you"

"Yep, can we go and tell daddy now?"

"Well, no sorry sweetie but I think we should wait for him to get back from work – he's very busy and we have Sakura coming round don't we?"

Ruby nodded grinning. '-we have Sakura coming round-'Ruby thought about her mummy's words. She stared up at Hinata's smiling face. "How did you know Sakura was coming round today?"

Hinata's face almost looked panicked, "erm...oh I mean because she called, just be before you got home." Hinata waited to see if Ruby believed her lie, Ruby smiled, Hinata sighed in relieve. "She said she would definitely be over later, to some very special girly things."

"Special girly things...?" Ruby squealed.

Hinata bit her lip as she nodded her head. Would she have to now call Sakura and tell her to have some special girly things planned?

"I'm going to go to my room!" Ruby skipped off.

Hinata walked to the phone and dialled Sakura's number...

Jiraiya kicked through the back door, he stormed through the kitchen ignoring his mum's worried face. She was on the phone to Sakura as Jiraiya ran up the stairs: "I have to go Sakura, Jiraiya's just got home and he looks like he's upset about something." She hung up after Sakura said bye.

She climbed the stairs and knocked on Jiraiya's door and of course got no answer.

"Jiraiya-kun, are you okay?" She asked the door. She heard him grunt. "I'm going to come in, okay?" She turned the door handle and stared shocked as it shut back in her face.

"I'm okay" Jiraiya said so clearly that Hinata could tell he was just on the other side of the door.

"Jiraiya you can talk to me, about anything"

"I know. I'm fine mum really."

Hinata felt helpless, she wanted to be there for him but recently it was as if he didn't even like her. "Do you want anything?"

"No"

Hinata's head rested against the door, "Jiraiya I'm here if you need me."

He didn't say anything. Hinata fought back tears and went back down stairs still feeling helpless.

Jiraiya leaned against the door, his back to it. He rubbed the tears from his eyes with the backs of his fists. He walked to his bed and sat down. He didn't want to go on that stupid mission, but he knew he would. Maybe he wasn't fighting any bad guys or saving the day but still if he could bring that cat back to the old hag, within minutes he could properly top the records! So yeah, he picked up his coat and jumped out the window, to meet up with his comrades to do their mission. He'd prove to his dad that even a mission like this he could take seriously it and still come on top.


	3. Konoha under attack

Sakura sat with Ruby in the front room, brushing Ruby's hair while Ruby the whole time talked about her day. Jiraiya was out on his mission and Hinata was round her Father's. Hanabi was getting married soon so Hinata was spending as much time as possible with her sister, giving her support.

"All done" Sakura said. Ruby walked over to the mirror and smiled.

"I look pretty, thanks Sakura-chan!"

"All I did was brush your hair," Sakura laughed. "You were already pretty."

"Mummy says I'm beautiful because I take after daddy and daddy says I'm beautiful because I take after mummy!" Ruby laughed shaking her head, Sakura laughed too. "Can I do your hair now?" Ruby asked.

"Sure" Sakura moved from her seat on to the floor and Ruby sat in Sakura's chair, so that she was looking down at Sakura's hair.

"I love your hair" Ruby complimented. "It's pretty."  
"Thank you" Sakura smiled.

***

Naruto sat at his desk, barely able to see over the stacks of paperwork that were in front of him. He yawned deeply stretching his arms. Nightfall glided over Konoha and stars began to sparkle out of random places in the sky. Naruto yawned again; he put his hands behind his head and quickly fell asleep.

"Ah..." He sighed in his sleep.

Someone hammered on the office doors, Naruto heard nothing. Whoever it was must have come into the room and whacked Naruto on the head, because he was now awake rubbing his head.

"What was that for?!" He moaned at Konohamaru.

"I tried waking you!" Konohamaru shouted back at him.

"Why?"

Konohamaru didn't say anything he just pointed out of the window behind Naruto. Naruto turned around in his chair and his mouth fell open. He stared for two more seconds in complete shock then snapped out of it and stood up, still staring at the war zone outside.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" He screeched at Konohamaru.

"I don't know, only that we were attacked about an hour ago"

"An hour...?" That long? Had Naruto slept right through the first attack?

He looked down at all the different ninja trying to protect the city, he saw people he recognised: Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru, Sakura then his face froze on Hinata and then on the younger ninja: Jiraiya and his comrades.

'No' he thought in horror.

Konohamaru knew who Naruto was looking at.

"All the children are down in the academy cellars, most of the younger ninja are with them but we couldn't find Jiraiya and his comrades..." Konohamaru informed Naruto.

Naruto stepped away from the window, pulled on his coat and jumped out of the window, Konohamaru followed him.

Rain splattered down on all below, winds blew screams around in all directions. Naruto and Konohamaru tried to stick together as they fought the unknown enemy. But they quickly got separated when Konohamaru spotted one of his comrades in trouble. Naruto didn't try and stop him going to help his comrade, after all that's exactly where he was going, not to a comrade though but to his son.

Jiraiya stood on a roof and was fighting a strange ninja in a mask, the enemy wore some sort of cat-suit and as Jiraiya thought about it, they did look like cats and fight like cats. With that in mind he was grateful his fighting style was more like a dog's.

Hoshi and Daisuke were off in the distance, also standing on roofs and each had their own enemy to fight. This was great they all thought – Jiraiya included, now they got to be the heroes! Everyone would see that they weren't weak.

"JIRAIYA"

The sound of Naruto's voice took Jiraiya off guard; he felt a sickening turn in his stomach as the strange cat-ninja hit him with full force. He spat blood out off his mouth and staggered backward, he nearly fell off the roof if it wasn't for his dad catching him and bringing him back on the roof.

Naruto's arms were wrapped around Jiraiya protectively. Jiraiya looked up at him; Naruto watched the cat-ninja with as much hate he could show in his face. Jiraiya shoved out of Naruto's arms and stood up on his own. Naruto still stared at the cat-ninja as he growled to his son: "Go to the academy!"

Jiraiya shook his head.

"NOW"

Jiraiya shook his head again.

The cat-ninja laughed. "Looks like he wanted to stay for the party" he jeered.

Naruto pushed Jiraiya in the chest, trying to force him to go.

"I'M NOT LEAVING!" Jiraiya pushed back against Naruto's hands.

Naruto turned to face him, anger clear on his face. "This isn't about you! You're only going to get in the way if you stay here" he told him.

That had hurt Jiraiya, he tried his hardest not to let it show in his face. He dropped his arms and ran from the roof, without another word.

Why couldn't his dad see he was just as strong as he was at his age? Why did, his dad's suffering matter more than his? That it's like he doesn't deserve to bestrong just because he didn't have a bad childhood.

Jiraiya didn't flee to the academy, like his dad wanted him to. No, he was going to be a part of this fight, he was going to show his dad he was strong and that he doesn't need him to save him all the time.

He looked over his shoulder to where Naruto stood fighting the cat-ninja. He wasn't in the least bit jealous of his dad's abilities not even when he saw him defeat the cat-ninja within seconds. No, it wasn't that he was jealous he just wanted a chance to prove himself.

***

All the children of Konoha and the younger ninja were wandering down the secret passageway that led away from Konoha to somewhere they could be safe. The younger ninja held hands of all the children. Ruby's hand was being held by some tall boy –really tall, he was taller than her daddy, she didn't like that. She wanted to go home; she felt a tear slide down her face and drip off her chin. She stopped walking. The tall boy looked down at her confused.

"I want to go home!" She told him, she shook her hand from his and ran back down the way they had come.

"HEY!" The boy shouted as he ran after her.

Ruby kept running unafraid of the darkness that ran up to meet her as she got closer to the academy's back doors. She could hear the tall boy still behind her.

Konoha looked terrifyingly unfamiliar. Especially to a little girl who wasn't completely sure which way was home now that the path she usually went down was caved in by half of buildings that have been blown to pieces.

Ruby looked around, shocked to the spot. She bit her lower lip and looked above to where everyone was fighting. She searched for her mummy and daddy, but couldn't find them. She thought she recognised Jiraiya running off away from where she stood, she ran after him. But then a hand grabbed down at her head and pushed her to the ground. She yelped as she tried to see who it was, it wasn't anyone she recognised. She screamed.

The stranger threw her across the path aiming her at a building close by. Ruby hid her face with her arms and cried into her skin. She waited for the brick building to smash into her, but no building came. She pulled her arms away from her face and looked up, from where she sat in someone's lap.

She cried into her mummy's chest. Hinata hugged Ruby close, but kept her Byakugan eyes on the stranger who'd tried to kill her daughter.

Sakura jumped down off a roof and landed next to Hinata and Ruby.

"You take Ruby, I'll deal with this" Sakura said.

"No" Hinata shook her head, she stood up with Ruby cradled in her arms and she gave Ruby to Sakura. "You look after Ruby, please Sakura."

Ruby shook her head this time, Hinata smiled and leaned towards Ruby and kissed her. "Ruby I'll be right behind you. I promise."

Sakura wasn't sure of what she should do, but as she felt Ruby faint in her arms she knew she had to get her checked over. She nodded her head and left with Ruby.

Hinata turned back at the enemy, who hadn't moved at all, his hand was still in a claw from when he'd grabbed Ruby by the head. Hinata looked at his hand and within seconds fury was thick on her face and in her blood as she lurched at him.

***

Jiraiya still ran, jumping roof to roof as he searched for an opponent. But everyone seems to already be taken. He saw Hoshi and Daisuke kill each of their opponents, no one stopped them. They were allowed to fight, not him. He hated it. He hated his dad for caring about him. He hated that he never felt good enough no matter what he did.

Anger climbed up his throat wanting him to shout it out, but his fists held it in, he'd have time later to cry, to hate. Right now though he hated to admit it, his dad was right this was nothing to do with him. It was about Konoha, he respected that and he'd protect Konoha with his life no matter what his dad thought about it.

"Jiraiya"

He heard Sakura call to him; he looked around and saw her on a rooftop behind him. Horror struck into his heart when he saw the little figure lying on the rooftop next to her.

He quickly turned and ran to her. He landed next to her and stared down at his sister. Sakura looked up at him. "She's okay, she's just unconscious"

Jiraiya let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"Look Jiraiya, I've got to go and help out. You've got to take Ruby to the academy and catch up with the others down the passageway."

Jiraiya shook his head, his lips in a thin line.

Sakura completely took him by surprise when she suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down towards Ruby. He stared at her for a short moment and closed his eyes.

"Take Ruby now" Sakura ordered in a deep voice.

Jiraiya did as he was told. He lifted Ruby up on to his back. Sakura gave him a weak smile and then ran to the others.

Jiraiya ran towards the academy, despite the regret in his mind. He shook off droplets of rain that drowned his sight. He heard thunder above him and felt the wind hit him strongly in the back. He lost his balance only for a second but long enough for him to fall from a rooftop. He landed on his knees, with Ruby still clung to his back. He took in deep breaths as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

It was almost impossible to see now. The rain was falling so fast it hit him like pins, the winds still jabbed at him from behind and on top of that it was pitch black. There were no street lamps, mainly because they had all been destroyed; glass and metal lay on the ground where they used to be.

Jiraiya calmed down his breathing after awhile and figured out where they were. The academy wasn't far now. He rose to his feet and began to run again.

Lightning soared through the ground in front of Jiraiya, he jumped backwards in shock. His breathing was deep and his heart was heaving in his chest. He peered over into the giant hole the lightning had made in the ground.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you." Someone laughed from above, on the roof of the building Jiraiya was next to.

Jiraiya looked up at her, his hands fisted. But as much as he wanted to kill her, he had Ruby with him and he had to get her to safety. He stepped backwards as the storm-ninja laughed. He broke in to a sudden run and leaped over the hole.

The storm-ninja hadn't seen this coming so she was shocked a little, but not fazed she giggled as Jiraiya tried to run away. She threw down more lightning bolts his way. She laughed fiercely as he dodged every one.

Jiraiya ran not paying any attention as to where he put his feet, because he knew if he did he would lose his balance again. He was relieved when he ran through the academy gates, they'd made it. He wasn't so relieved when the storm-ninja appeared in front of the academy doors.

"I don't think so." She jeered.

Jiraiya watched her in concentration as he tried to think out a way to get around her. He shifted to his left, she followed instinctively. He shifted to his right, she again followed.

She walked forward towards him, careful to still be in his way to the doors.

"You look a lot like that idiot Hokage"

Jiraiya didn't say anything.

"Your hair," she ruffled his hair and he shook away from her. "And those eyes...Oh, and who's this?" She stared up at Ruby on Jiraiya's back. "Isn't she pretty..."

Jiraiya stepped backwards, worried about Ruby's safety.

"Don't tell me she's your sister?" She giggled. "I remember now, my master said Naruto Uzumaki married that Hyuuga girl, what was her name...?" She put her fingertips to the bottom of her chin as she tried to remember. After a moment she figured it didn't matter. "Oh, well it's not important. My point is you look like Naruto Uzumaki and she-"

She pointed a claw like finger at Ruby. "Looks like the Hyuuga girl."

She smiled happily at her discovery. "Master is going to be so proud of me! I found the Hokage's kids. I'll have to tell him all about this."

Jiraiya made a sudden movement towards the doors while she seemed distracted. His foot barely made it off the ground, before she was right back in his face. She wriggled her index finger at him.

"Tut-tut-tut"

Jiraiya jumped away from her. He needed to get Ruby inside; what with all this rain she was sure to catch a cold. But it was clear there was no way past this woman. She laughed suddenly.

"Whatever you're planning it won't work" she told him, while she laughed at the expression on his face.

He wasn't sure of what he should do, of what he should say – if he could even talk, his throat felt all closed up. Ruby whimpered softly in his ear, in her sleep. He wondered if she could hear what was going on.

The storm-ninja sent a flare up into the air. Jiraiya watched it go up, knowing exactly what it meant she was leading her comrades right to him and Ruby. 'That's it' Jiraiya thought if more people came he wouldn't be able to protect Ruby.

He walked over to a tree close by, and lifted Ruby from his back and placed her against the tree. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her.

"I'll be right back" he promised her in a whisper. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Then stood and walked towards the storm-ninja, ready for a fight.

He didn't waste any time, after all he didn't have time to waste. Who knows when her comrades would get here?

"BYAKUGAN" He'd inherited the Byakugan from his mother and learnt from his father how to make shadow clones. Imagine being able to see all angles of your opponent and also being able to send an attack in all those angles. How could his dad not see he could look after himself?

He made ten shadow clones and attacked her. She tried to doge but even when she did, Jiraiya saw her do so and punched her in the cheek. He heard her teeth crack from inside his mouth; she flew back into the academy doors. She lifted herself onto her knees.

"What have you done to my teeth?!" She screeched at him as she spitted out bits of her teeth.

Jiraiya didn't answer, he didn't show any emotion he just came at her again. She didn't have enough time to move. He punched her in the stomach with so much force she crashed through the doors. She rolled down the ground and when she stopped rolling she pulled her knees in to her chest and moaned about the pain. Jiraiya walked over to her and peered down at her, he grunted, 'doesn't look like she'll be able to move for awhile' he thought and ran outside. He lifted Ruby up into his arms and ran back into the academy.

The second he was in there he knew something was wrong. All windows in the academy blew open. He looked to where he'd last seen the storm-ninja, she wasn't there. He searched around the room for her, using his Byakugan.

THERE. She hung down from the ceiling her feet on the ceiling and her face inches from his.

"You're going to regret this." She grinned at him, with her new broken smile.

Jiraiya tried to run towards the passageway. He didn't like the look on her face, she didn't look human and as he had seen her charka network, it was dangerously over the limit. Charka swam around her body unsure of where it was going and unnaturally fast that whenever she moved she seemed invisible.

"Oh don't you want to save the day anymore?" She mocked him.

He ran away from her sly face as she chased him around the academy.

"Jiraiya..." Ruby mumbled. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she tried to see him clearly. She stared up at her brother's face as he ran frantically around the academy.

Suddenly Jiraiya skidded to halt at the end of a corridor; he'd nearly, ran straight into the storm-ninja.

"You can run put you can't hide" she laughed. She noticed Ruby was awake, her eyes widened in interest. Ruby stared at her terrified. "Nice to meet you," the storm-ninja held out a hand to Ruby. Jiraiya ran back down the corridor he'd just, been down.

The storm-ninja sighed and looked at her nails. Jiraiya came to a stop again as he again stared forward at the storm-ninja. She was just too fast.

"I can do this all day," she sighed.

"Jiraiya..." Ruby whispered.

"Oh Jiraiya, is it?" The storm-ninja laughed. "What a pretty name, for a pretty boy" she grinned slyly. "And what's your name little girl?"

"Don't talk to her!" Jiraiya chocked out in her face. The storm-ninja liked that, she laughed aloud bitterly.

"You want to be the first to experience my new technique?" She asked all laughter gone as she was filled with genuine excitement.

Jiraiya backed away from her and Ruby shook her head slowly from side to side.

"As if I'd give you a choice..."


	4. Where am I?

The storm-ninja spread her arms out away from herself and closed her eyes. Nothing happened for two seconds then suddenly the world began to spin. She pointed out two fingers on both hands and started mumbling words under her breath. She was talking too fast for Jiraiya to understand what she was saying and Jiraiya didn't want to find out, he ran again back down the corridor he'd just been down.

He got through the academy's back doors down the passageway. He could hear the storm-ninja's laugh behind him as he ran. He didn't stop and he didn't look back.

But it didn't matter as a strange light chased him down the passageway, he thought it was lightning at first, but the charka was all wrong. He had no idea what it was, but didn't stop to ask questions.

"What's that Jiraiya?" Ruby asked as she stared at the strange light that shone on the walls around them. Jiraiya didn't answer her.

The laughter got louder from behind them and suddenly the strange light overtook them. It stuck to Jiraiya's and Ruby's skin like glue; it covered the whole of them. But it didn't feel sticky. It felt as if they were just being wrapped in a soft bright quilt.

Ruby gasped down at herself as the light covered her completely. Jiraiya ignored it even when it completely blinded him. He just kept running, running into the nothingness...

***

Jiraiya lay on soft ground, his back against the warm grass. His hands sunk into the soil and the wind gently blew his hair back from his face. He yawned deeply in his sleep.

"Naruto-niichan" someone nudged Jiraiya in his back with their feet. Jiraiya moaned in his sleep and when the nudging didn't stop he snapped forward and instinctively pressed his hair down with his hands – waiting for his dad to ruffle it. "Dad!" he moaned to a small boy when he opened his eyes. He looked at the boy confused and then looked around himself he was on the hill he usually sat on with his comrades. But they weren't here.

"Naruto-niichan..." The boy moaned at him. 'Naruto' Jiraiya knew he looked like Naruto when Naruto was his age, but not now that his dad was much older. Why was this boy that he'd never seen before mistaking him for his dad?

Jiraiya jumped to his feet, he was trying to remember why he was here and what had happened. But looking around at Konoha nothing was destroyed, but it did look strangely unfamiliar.

"Are you going to show me that new technique now?!"

Jiraiya looked down at the boy; he looked like someone he knew. But the person he knew was too old to be this boy and yet as he stared down at the boy, the resemblance was too exact, he could swear he was looking down at Konohamaru.

"If you've got time to lie about, you've got time to teach me!" Konohamaru moaned up at Jiraiya.

Konohamaru looked at who he thought was Naruto bit more closely, he then backed away when he noticed there were no whisker marks on Jiraiya's face. Other little things about the boy looking down at him, he noticed there was no way this was Naruto.

"Oh, sorry I thought –"

He squinted, his eyes as he still looked up at Jiraiya. "You look a lot like – like his double..."

"I know" Jiraiya sighed.

"You know Naruto?" Konohamaru asked.

"Yeah," Jiraiya was confused at how this boy knew who Naruto was and yet had no idea who he was. Not that it bothered him, just that it was weird everyone in Konoha and properly even the world, knew him as Jiraiya Jr. Son of Naruto Uzumaki Hokage the 6th.

"I'm Konohamaru" Konohamaru held out his hand to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shook his head, he knew Konohamaru well enough to know he wasn't a little boy.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" Konohamaru fisted his hand away from himself and up to Jiraiya. Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh. The boy was tiny, there was no way he could hurt him.

Konohamaru didn't like being laughed at he went to hit Jiraiya, when a noise interrupted them. A cat sat stuck in the tree above them, both Konohamaru and Jiraiya looked up at it. It hissed down at them.

"AHA!" Konohamaru pointed at it. Jiraiya recognised the cat right away, even though it looked younger.

"Damn cat" Jiraiya mumbled under his breath.

Konohamaru ran to the tree and began to climb it, Jiraiya watched him go. He must be on the same mission Jiraiya had been on earlier today and it had already ran away, that cat must really hate it's owner. He thought about that 'earlier today...' It had been night time before he awoke here. Did that make it the next day? Suddenly a memory hit him in the head and then started scratching his face. No not the memory, the cat!

Jiraiya ran around shaking his head, as he tried to get the thing off of him. Its claws dug into his skin.

"Hold still!" Konohamaru cautioned as he climbed down from the tree and ran towards Jiraiya. Jiraiya didn't stop running nor shaking his head. Konohamaru made a shadow clone and ran with his clone at Jiraiya as he made a Rasengan.

Jiraiya looked at Konohamaru as if he was crazy. Was he trying to blow Jiraiya's head to pieces?

"Hold still!" This time Konohamaru ordered.

"NO WAY!" Jiraiya ran to the lake and jumped in, the cat flung off his head off down the lake. Jiraiya sighed in relief.

"Where did it go?" Konohamaru and his clone asked in unison. Jiraiya shrugged. Konohamaru ran down the lake looking for the cat. "Why did you let it go?!" He shouted at Jiraiya.

"Why did you, drop it on my head?!" Jiraiya shouted back.

Konohamaru ignored him. Jiraiya figured he'd help the boy, after all he still couldn't remember where he was and to be honest he was bored.

"Byakugan" Jiraiya looked down the lake and across the hills, past where the Konohamaru was searching for the cat. He stopped looking around when he spotted the cat clinging to a stone, as it shook of the wetness from it's' fur.

Jiraiya ran to it, within seconds of him breaking into a run he was next to the cat. He grabbed it before it had even noticed him. It scratched aggressively at his skin, just like it had done to his head, the memory of it made the scratch marks on his face sting slightly.

"WOW" Konohamaru mouthed as he ran to where Jiraiya stood handing out the cat towards him. Konohamaru took the cat from Jiraiya's hands. "Thanks"

Jiraiya smiled.

"I've got to go" Konohamaru told him and then ran off with the cat.

"Bye" Jiraiya waved to him.

When he was alone again, he sat back down on the hill. He rested his head down on his knees; he was trying to remember the memory that came back to him just before the cat was on his head. He really tried but it was gone, after awhile he stood up and decided to go home, things will make more sense once he sees his family.

***

Kiba and Akamaru, Lee and Ten-Ten were coming back from a mission; they were walking towards the Hokage's office. Akamaru all of a sudden stopped walked and sniffed on the ground.

"What is it boy?" Kiba asked.

Akamaru barked and looked towards the tree.

"It can't be Hinata, she'd out on a mission" Kiba said, shaking his head. But Akamaru still barked and walked over to the tree. Lee, Ten-Ten and Kiba followed. Ten-Ten gasped, as they looked down at a little girl, who was sitting against the tree.

Akamaru didn't understand why it was Hinata, the little girl smelt just like her.

"I know. It's weird" Kiba told him.

Ten-Ten leaned in towards the girl; she put her hand on the girl's forehead.

"She's freezing" Ten-Ten said as she snatched her hand away.

"Should we take her with us?" Lee asked.

"Well, we can't leave her here" Kiba said. Akamaru barked.

The girl moved suddenly, she stretched her arms out in the air and sleepily opened her eyes. She looked into the eyes of four familiar faces. At least that's what she thought. After all, they've always been taller than her.

"Akamaru" the little girl stood up and skipped over to Akamaru. Akamaru stepped back away from her confused, she was confused too.

"It's Ruby" she told him, pointing at herself. Then she looked at the height of Akamaru, he was bigger than her, that much was the same but he still wasn't as big as he used to be. "Akamaru..."

He moved away from her and went to stand next to Kiba.

"How did you know his name?" Kiba asked.

Ruby looked up at Kiba even more confused. "It's me," she looked at Lee and Ten-Ten, "Ruby."

They looked at each other, whispering: "Do we know her?"

Ruby wanted to cry. How didn't they know her? Why were they all smaller than they were the last time she saw them?

Ten-Ten walked over to Ruby.

"Ruby is it?"

Ruby nodded her head.

"Hi, I'm Ten-Ten and this is Lee." She pointed at Lee and he waved. "And Kiba and Akamaru" she pointed at them too.

"I know" Ruby said.

Ten-Ten ignored her. "Where's your home Ruby?"

Ruby pointed in the direction she hoped was home.

"Can you get there on your own or do you need us to come with you?"

Ruby didn't answer. Lee came towards her now, and knelt down to her height. He smiled, "Just to make sure you get home safely."

That triggered a memory. Distantly she remembered running after Jiraiya in the dark and then – nothing. Her memory ran blank.

"Where's Jiraiya?" She asked.

"Jiraiya...?" Lee asked. "Oh, do you mean Jiraiya the toad sage?" Lee nodded his head smiling. "Do you know him?"

Ruby wasn't sure what he meant. Of course she didn't know the toad sage, Jiraiya he died long before she was born. Even before Jiraiya Jr. Was born. After all he was named after him.

She shook her head.

"Who do you mean, then?" Ten-Ten asked.

"My brother"

"I don't know anyone else called Jiraiya in Konoha other than the sage" Lee thought aloud.

"When did you last see him?" Kiba asked.

"I don't remember" Ruby sobbed.

"Okay, okay we'll walk you home." Lee said as he tried to calm Ruby, he smiled and stood up. "Now which way are we going?"

Ruby wandered down the way she had pointed before, they all followed her.

She led the way, with them behind her. She skipped down the familiar street, not thinking once how it was strange that nothing was destroyed, everything stood perfectly as though there had been no attack.

"We've got to get to the Hokage's office" Kiba moaned from behind.

Ruby stopped skipping and turned around a smile clear on her face.

"I could go with you there!" She called to them.

"No, I think you should go home." Kiba said confused as to why she would want to see the Hokage.

"My daddy will be there!" She sang. She was missing him although she had no idea how long she'd been apart from him.

"Your daddy...?"

"Yep" Ruby nodded her head. She changed direction and ran towards the Hokage office instead.

"Who's her dad?" Ten-Ten asked, Kiba and Lee both shrugged. They all guessed they'd soon find out.

Ruby began to run, faster and faster so fast that the others soon lost sight of her. As she got closer to the Hokage office, happiness and relieve spread over her as she saw who she thought was Jiraiya walking down the steps that led to the office.

"JIRAIYA" She shouted to him. He looked up, wondering who was shouting for Ero-sennin.

She ran a hug at him; they both fell to the floor from the force of the hug.

"What-the –?"

Ruby hugged his chest, her arms wrapped around him. Naruto sat up and tried to rip the girl from his chest.

She looked up at him confused and then her breathing froze, as she stared up at who wasn't Jiraiya but who looked like her daddy.

"Daddy...?" She asked confused.

Naruto looked down at her like she was crazy. He stood up and pushed her away from him.

"Naruto" Lee greeted him, as he and the others got closer.

Naruto nodded his head at him and smiled. "What you guys doing here?"

"We just got back from our mission, you two right?" Lee grinned.

"Does that mean Hinata's back too?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah" Naruto answered.

"Hinata...?" Ruby stepped closer to Naruto. "Daddy" she said again. She knew he looked younger, so much younger he really did look like Jiraiya but she didn't doubt for a second that was who he was.

Everyone looked at her as if she was crazy. Naruto backed away from her questioning eyes, quite scared but mostly confused. Why did this little girl think he was her daddy?

"Erm...no" he told her.

"Daddy...?" Kiba laughed.

Ruby didn't take her eyes from him. Something was wrong, why is everything so different? Why did they look at her like they didn't know her? She wanted her mummy and Jiraiya. She wanted her daddy, but didn't seem to know her at all.

Tears filled in her eyes, she ignored them. She was a big girl now, she could walk home all on her own and big girls didn't cry. She turned away from Naruto and hung her head for a couple of seconds while they watched her.

She forced herself to pretend he wasn't her daddy, they didn't know her because they didn't know her. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't like the way they looked at her, so she thought she'll just have to pretend till she found Jiraiya and could go home.

She looked back at him and smiled. "Sorry, you look like someone I know" She grinned at Naruto.

"Your dad...?" Kiba smirked.

"Yeah, though of course you're younger."

Naruto smiled at her. "That's okay." He brought his hand out to her, "I'm Naruto." She knew that. She took his hand in hers, it felt like his hand.

"I'm Ruby." She looked into his eyes.

As Naruto shook hands with Ruby he felt this weird natural connection with her, that when she took her hand back he almost didn't want her to. It felt like they should hold hands. He looked into her bright blue eyes, wondering why they looked so familiar.

"Is your dad inside, then?" Lee asked pointing up the steps, interrupting Naruto's thoughts.

It took Ruby awhile to understand what he meant. "Oh, no..." What should she do? There was no home here.

"Didn't you say he worked here?" Kiba asked almost annoyed.

"Not yet" Ruby grinned as she stared up into Naruto's eyes, he grinned too not sure why.


	5. Lost in the pages of history

Lee, Ten-Ten, Kiba and Akamaru went to see Lady Tusnade, leaving Ruby in the hands of Naruto to walk her home. Ruby didn't know what she should do, if this was her dad and he didn't know her. Then he wasn't with her mum yet, so there would be no home for her to return to.

But on the other hand if Jiraiya was in this mad world too, then she figured home would be where he would go, like her. So she hoped with her fingers-crossed, as they walked that he was there.

Naruto kept glancing down at Ruby every once and awhile. He couldn't work out why she seemed familiar.

"You've got an older brother then?" Naruto asked to kill the silence. Ten-Ten had informed him before she left with the others.

"Yep" Ruby nodded her head as she skipped down the path.

"Will he be home, waiting for you?"

Ruby put her crossed-fingers out in front of herself, "hope so." She whispered.

"What about your mum or dad?"

"Oh," Ruby shook her head.

"Do you not have any parents?" Naruto asked worryingly.

"I do, but they're not here." She didn't exactly lie; after all they weren't her parents yet. How could she explain that without appearing crazy?

"Oh," Naruto wasn't sure of what to make of that. They rounded a corner.

Naruto stared blank for a second, at the mirror in front of him. It was a strange mirror; it looked like he was just staring at his reflection. But his reflection was wearing different clothes and as he looked closer, it didn't have the whisker marks on its face like he did.

"Huh?" Naruto took a step closer to the mirror; the reflection stared at him too and at the same time Naruto had said: "Huh?" The reflection had said it too.

"JIRAIYA" Ruby ran over to Naruto's reflection calling it: Jiraiya for some reason. Naruto stared at his reflection as it bent down to hug Ruby.

"What's happened?" Ruby asked Jiraiya, suddenly not caring if big girls didn't cry, tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged her big brother.

"I don't know"

Naruto had heard his reflection talk and it took him a moment to realise he hadn't said anything and he wasn't hugging Ruby! Was she in the mirror?

Jiraiya looked up into Naruto's shocked face; he stood up and was shocked also and very confused that he could look into his dad's eyes straight forward, without having to look up. His dad was the same height as him.

Ruby noticed where he was looking.

"He doesn't know he's our dad." She whispered.

"What?" Jiraiya asked. As he stared at Naruto, he realised how much different he looked, well not different per say but younger. He looked the complete double of Jiraiya and everyone did always say that he was the double of his dad when he was Jiraiya's age.

"NO WAY" Jiraiya mouthed at Naruto.

"NO WAY" Naruto mouthed back as he finally realised it wasn't a mirror he was looking at.

Ruby giggled at them and wiped her tears away with her sleeves.

Jiraiya walked around the empty kitchen, well where the kitchen should be. Ruby sat miserably on the stairs that didn't lead anywhere. Naruto stood awkwardly at the front door, feeling like he could just walk in but still being too confused about that feeling that he didn't move. Ruby was sat in front of him, she wanted to hug him. But she knew he wasn't her daddy so she stood up and ran to Jiraiya. Jiraiya was walking around in circles putting his hands out at the invisible furniture, remembering where every, was supposed to be.

"What are we going to do?" Ruby hugged him; he looked down at her head as he hugged her close.

"This place looks like it's not been made into a house yet." They heard Naruto say from the doorway. "You sure this is your home?"

"Yeah" Jiraiya called back. He released himself from Ruby and went to Naruto. He out his hand on the door and walked forward so that Naruto had to move backwards.

"Thanks, for bringing her home"

Soon as Naruto's feet were out of the house, Jiraiya closed the door before Naruto could get a sentence out: "That's-"

Naruto stared blankly at the door.

"Jiraiya" Ruby ran through to the front door, from the kitchen. "What did you do that for?" She went to open the door when Jiraiya's hand appeared on the handle making sure it stayed shut. "JIRAIYA..." Ruby moaned.

"You said so yourself, he doesn't know he's our dad."

"I know, but he will be maybe if we just told him..."

"Tell him what? Oh hi I'm your future son and this is your future daughter..." He pointed at himself and then at Ruby. "They'll think were crazy Ruby, maybe we are crazy."

"No we're not! We're just...well, obviously... "

"What?"

Ruby stepped away from the door and started pacing through hall, back and forth. "If daddy doesn't know he's our daddy and he looks the double of you... Everyone I saw today looked younger and they didn't know me..."

"Yeah, I saw some kid who said he was Konohamaru...he did look like him..."

Ruby nodded in this new piece of information.

"Who did you see?"

"Lee, Ten-Ten, Kiba and Akamaru, Akamaru was smaller, I mean still really big but my arms could fit around his leg!"

"Do you think we're in some sort of weird gen-jutsu?" Even after Jiraiya had said it, he knew he would know if they were because of his Byakugan. Still, for the sake of it: "Release." Nope nothing changed.

"When I asked where you were, they thought I meant the toad sage. The Jiraiya you're named after."

"Whoa" Jiraiya whispered. "He's alive, here?"

Ruby stopped pacing as she stood right in front of Jiraiya, as it suddenly made sense to the both of them: "We're in the past!" They both shouted in unison.

***

Naruto stood leaned against the wall outside the half-made house, where he'd dropped off that girl, Ruby with her brother. There was something too weird about the way that boy looked the just like him and the girl's eyes. He tried to tell himself it was nothing, that he's should just go home and forget about it. But looking at the half-made house, there was no way this was their home.

He'd just stay outside a little longer, so he could be sure they'll be safe there. He wondered why he cared, he knew obviously he cared because they seemed to be all on their own, but there was more to it. He just had to know they were okay.

"Is he still out there?" Jiraiya asked for the third time.

Ruby skipped over to the window and peeked through the boards that boarded up the windows. "Yep" she grinned.

"God, he's so like dad, just doesn't know when to keep his nose out of everyone else's business."

"He just cares."

"Too much"

"No such thing," Ruby smiled at him. She worried slightly as it started to rain; he just stood outside in it.

"Great, he'll go now."

"If you know dad as well, as you think you do..." She let the sentence trail on, he knew what she meant. He stood behind her, watching their dad still out there, even in the rain. Jiraiya clenched his fists and decided he couldn't take it anymore. He ran to the front door and flung it open.

Naruto looked up steadily, unsure of what was coming. Jiraiya stood at the door and Naruto stood against the wall. They just stared at each other for a moment too long.

"Well come in, then!" Jiraiya told him.

Naruto grinned and followed Jiraiya inside.

Naruto walked into the so-called living room, there was a box on the floor and four other smaller boxes around that one. This was obviously the table they'd made. There was a single candle on the table.

Ruby skipped forward towards their table and pointed at one of the boxes. "You can sit here, da-Naruto." She smiled up at him.

"Thanks" he sat down, to where she had pointed. Jiraiya sat on the other side of him and Ruby sat next to him.

"If you're here, I can go and get some food" Jiraiya said, he stood up, he'd only been sitting for exactly half a minute. "Will you stay here with Ruby?" He asked Naruto.

"Sure"

"Alright, thanks." Jiraiya went to the front door. "See you soon, Ruby." He left, Ruby skipped over to the boarded up window and pulled away one of the boards and waved out to Jiraiya. After he had gone, she sat back down next to Naruto.

Naruto smiled at her, she smiled back.

"Do you go to school?" Naruto asked, starting a conversation after about two minutes of just smiling at each other.

"The academy, I want to be a great ninja just like my mummy and daddy and Jiraiya of course."

He smiled, "your brother, Jiraiya?"

She nodded her head. "So I can help protect Konoha where all my friends and family are." She grinned his way.

"That's a good dream to have"

"You have the same sorta dream, right?"

He nodded, he didn't even realise how it was weird that she knew that. "I didn't have so many friends when I was a kid; I had to practically beg for attention all the time." Ruby nodded her head, she'd heard this story so often, but she knew it wasn't just a story.

"It's not like that now, though." She said.

"No, I have my friends, my home. I'd do anything to protect them. That's why my dream is to become the Hokage someday." He gave the thumbs-up as he grinned.

She knew his dream would come true. She put her hand on his hand that now, was resting on the box-table. "Good luck"

They were both smiling at each other, as Jiraiya came through the door carrying bags. He dragged the bags into the soon to be kitchen.

"Be right back" Ruby told Naruto as she slipped off to the kitchen. Jiraiya was opening a tin on a tower of bricks. "It's just like talking to dad, he tells the same stories"

"D'uh it is dad, so he's just telling his story."

"I know, I know. It's just weird." Ruby laughed.

"Well don't get too comfortable. If we're here, then there's no, us in the future."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, her laughter drowning in her throat.

"Think about it. If we stay here for too long either we're never gonna be born or two other versions of us will be born so we as in, you and me won't be long anywhere. We'll be lost in the pages of history."

Ruby stared at him open-mouthed. "How are we going to get home?"

"God knows. But that's exactly what that storm-ninja wanted to happen, this was her new technique."

"Storm-ninja...? Do you remember how we got here?"

"Yeah, don't you?" Jiraiya asked as he, poured the contents of the tin into a pan, he'd set up, with a little fire underneath it. "When I went to the shop, it just sort of came back to me."

Ruby sat down on the box that was closest to Jiraiya. "What happened, Jiraiya?"

Naruto sat patiently in the other room, as patient as he thought was impossible for him. He had his back to the kitchen doors and he could faintly hear them talking. He couldn't make enough sense on what they were saying to understand, but enough to have his ear pinned up against the wall.

Jiraiya poured out the contents from the pan onto three paper plates he'd just brought, with the money he'd still had in his pocket. Ruby sat, tears staining her cheeks. Jiraiya wanted to cry too but he held it together for Ruby. He knelt down beside her, placed his hand on her cheek and wiped away her tears.

"Will figure it out, ok?" Ruby tried to nod her head. He lifted her up from the box and took her place on the box and sat her down on his lap, as he hugged her.

Naruto moved his ear away from the wall, when he felt like he had no right to listen in as they comforted each other. He stared straight forward, trying to organise in his head, what he had heard.

After a moment or two, Ruby came into the living room again, with two paper plates in her hands. She placed a plate in front of Naruto and then sat down and placed the other in front of herself. Jiraiya sat down with his plate, across from Naruto again.

They sat in silence, the food wasn't exactly amazing but it was edible.


	6. Mission

Naruto stayed the night, they hadn't suggested that he leave and neither did he. They slept in the living room, the only room the building seemed to really process. Ruby slept curled up to Jiraiya, who slept under the boarded up window. Naruto slept on the other side of the room, against the kitchen wall, almost where he had been sitting before they went to sleep. Jiraiya had managed to find a couple of sacks they could use as sleeping-bags. It wasn't exactly comfortable or warm but it would have to do.

Naruto was awake. He'd been awake most of the night. He'd heard Jiraiya yesterday, while he and Ruby were in the kitchen; explain what had happened in their village. That it had been under attack and some weird sort of storm-ninja had somehow sent them here, using some new technique. It made him so angry. They properly had family back in their village waiting for them, worrying about them. Although Jiraiya was obviously about the same age as Naruto, he was still a kid and here he was trying to be all grown up for his little sister.

The thing Naruto couldn't work out was that Ruby had said she went to the academy. That she wanted to help protect Konoha. But he knew for certain, Konoha hadn't been under attack.

Jiraiya was awake too. He knew Naruto was watching him, as he also tried to see Naruto through the lids of his eyes.

The morning sun leaked through the cracks in the boards of the windows. Ruby groaned as the sun light made it way to her eyes. Jiraiya stretched out his limps, careful not to hit Ruby. Naruto sat up. Ruby rolled over unwillingly and stood on her feet.

"Good morning" she yawned in Naruto's direction, he smiled.

"Good morning" he said too.

She turned to Jiraiya, as he sat up. "Good morning" she grinned at him. She had awoken in a really good mood, she was relieved if anything. In her dreams she was sure she'd awake and be home. Which would be great, but a little part of her wanted an adventure.

Jiraiya yawned and smiled – his first ever real smile since he woke up in this world. Ruby loved to see it. She skipped off to the kitchen and two minutes later came back with mini ready to eat pancakes, she gave some to Naruto, then to Jiraiya and then she sat on top of a box and ate hers.

"I think this is the earliest I've ever been up" Naruto laughed as he took his place on another box. "Can I ask why you have four boxes at the table?" Naruto had noticed it the night before, it bothered for some reason he couldn't work out. More that no one was sitting there, then it just being there.

Ruby looked at the box that no one had sat on. 'That's mummy's place.' She thought. She hadn't even noticed that they had set four places at their box-table, when she and Jiraiya had made it. Jiraiya looked at the place too.

Naruto kind of wished he hadn't asked now, as he stared at Jiraiya and Ruby as they stared miserably at the box.

"There are four people in our family." Ruby answered after awhile.

"Oh," Naruto really wished he hadn't of said anything.

Jiraiya sighed deeply and then stood up, unsure of why he even bothered getting up. There wasn't anything they could do.

***

Sakura banged on Naruto's apartment door for what felt like the hundredth time.

"NARUTO" She'd had enough she punched her way right through the door and stormed into the pig-sty of a room. When she got inside she realised of course, he wasn't there. 'Where is he?!' She thought annoyed.

She left his apartment to stomp around the village as she searched for him.

"NARUTO...?" She screamed around street corners. She even tried Ichiraku Ramen shop it was too early for him to be there.

After an hour of searching she gave up and ran back to Lady Tusnade.

Lady Tusnade sat irritated at her desk.

"Sorry I couldn't find Naruto" Sakura apologised. "I looked everywhere"

"Okay, fine. We'll have to send for someone to go in Naruto's place."

***

"Don't you have important ninja stuff to be out doing?" Ruby asked Naruto.

"They'll send for me if I do."

"Yeah, but they won't know where you are." Jiraiya said in a tone that suggested the conversation bored him.

"Oh, yeah... I don't think there have been any missions today though."

"How do you know? You've been here, for all you know they've already sent for you and now, because they couldn't find you have gone without you." Ruby said.

"They wouldn't go without me."

"They would, they'll sent someone in your place."

"I can imagine Sakura banging on your door right now." Jiraiya said.

Ruby giggled, she could imagine it too. Naruto thought about that for a second and then quickly rose to his feet.

"I've got to go"

Jiraiya smirked, "yeah, I bet."

"Bye," he called as he put his shoes on and left out of the front door. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

Ruby, sighed at the box Naruto had been sitting in.

"I think we should follow him."

"Why?" Jiraiya asked as he too had been staring at the same box.

"Well I was thinking about what you said that if we stay here we'll be lost in the pages of history, but what if because dad was here instead of at his when they sent for him to go on a mission –"  
"Hang on, we don't even know if there was a mission."

"I know, I know. But if there was and he was here, doesn't that change history?"

"I guess, but I doubt him not going on that mission will change much."

"But, if it did change the future then what's the point in trying to find a way home when we don't know if there is a home in the future for us?"

"Whoa, what you going on about, why won't there be a home for us?"

"God, Jiraiya you're slow and you're supposed to be the smart one." She teased him.

"Yeah and I thought you was the dumb one." He grinned at her, she giggled.

"Because if he was here and not there like he was supposed to be, someone else has gone in his place on his mission, which will leave an open space for him on another mission with another team."

"What's that got to do with us?"

"Think about it, Jiraiya. Think about her."

"Her?"

"Mummy"

"Mum?"

"Mummy told me about this mission she went on once, after I asked why she loved daddy so much. Well she said on this mission there was this Prince and he was as seen by any other girl completely gorgeous but she didn't even see that in him because she only had eyes for dad.

Even when this Prince flirted with her and tried to dance with her, all she could think about was daddy."  
"Yeah and?"

"What if daddy ends up on the same mission as mummy?"

"Won't that be a good thing? They'll be together."

"Yeah, that's what I thought to begin with. But it'll still change history. Maybe it'll change the date they fall in love, so you'll be older then you are now. Or maybe they won't fall in love at all."

Jiraiya thought it through, he hated that it sort of made sense. He jumped to his feet; put his shoes on and his coat. Ruby watched him confused.

"Come on, then?"  
"Where are we going?"

"After dad"


End file.
